The French Open women’s tournament moves into the third round on Friday and do our tennis picks. On Thursday, we had an up-and-down day with our tennis picks, but still ended up on the profitable side of things. We cashed with Daria Kasaktina, who needed three sets to finish the job against Virginie Razzano. We also had Kristina Mladenovic to advance and she did exactly that. She faced off with Timea Babos but turned her aside in straight sets. Lastly, we decided to take a shot and see if Venus Williams would succumb to an upset but she didn’t. We had Louisa Chirico, but she didn’t put up much of a fight. Chirico lost in straight sets while winning just three games.
Looking ahead to Friday, predicting outcomes does not figure to be very easy, so you’re going to have to look for some very specific clues and opportunities. Here are our tennis picks for the day:
Barbora Strycova vs. Agnieszka Radwanska
This match should be very close. Radwanska had to hold on in the second set to put away Caroline Garcia, a talented but erratic player who does not have much of a serve. Strycova has a better serve than Garcia, and what’s more is that she has proved she can beat top-10 players. She defeated Garbine Muguruza in the third round of the Australian Open in Melbourne, taking control of that match from the start and never letting go. It’s true that Radwanska is a very different kind of opponent in comparison with Muguruza. She is several years older. She plays a more off-pace style. She doesn’t hit hard but instead tries to take the ball early and redirect it. She tries to throw opponents off balance. Muguruza tries to hit hard and blow opponents off the court. Strycova, though, is a veteran who can respond to what Radwanska does. It’s also important to say that Radwanska has rarely done well at the French Open. Her best result is a quarterfinal. On the slow clay surface, redirecting the ball doesn’t have as much of an effect, because the redirected shot doesn’t move through the court as quickly. Opponents can recover and get into rallies with heavy topspin. Clay requires a greater weight of shot, and that’s something Radwanska lacks. Recent history says Radwanska will probably struggle. She might play well, but it’s not something to rely on. Strycova has been a giant-killer of late, so she has a much better chance than you might first think.
Pick: Strycova in three sets
Tsvetana Pironkova vs. Sloane Stephens
This is a match in which it’s important to realize that Pironkova is best on grass courts. She’s done very well at Wimbledon over the years. She has a knack for playing a subtle and measured game which translates well to grass, a surface which demands a low-hitting strike zone, whereas clay involves higher bounces. If this match had been at Wimbledon, Pironkova probably would be the choice, but at Roland Garros, it’s a better bet that Stephens will win. She reached the fourth round last year and played Serena Williams in a close match. She should be able to get back to the fourth round this year, so go with her in this spot.
Pick: Stephens in straight sets
Svetlana Kuznetsova vs. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova
This is a match which feels like a three-setter. Kuznetsova had a good clay-court season and a strong tournament in Miami, where she made the final on hardcourts. Yet, she remains an up-and-down player. She goes for broke on her shots and can be very hard to predict on a given day. What ultimately decides this match is that Pavlyuchenkova is simply not fit enough or fast enough to be able to cover the court as much as a Kuznetsova opponent needs to. Kuznetsova’s variety of shot can be defused by good defense, but Pavlyuchenkova doesn’t play defense well enough to oppose her. Take her with your tennis selections in this one.
Pick: Kuznetsova in three sets
